RTO CRACKS DOWN ON EXCESSIVE BUS FARES DURING SANKRANTI In light of the increased demand during the Sankranti festival, Regional Transport Office (RTO) officials in Visakhapatnam launched a special drive to curb violations by private bus operators. The drive focused on inspecting contract carriage (private) buses at various locations, including NAD Kotha Road and Aganampudi toll plaza. So far, 122 cases have been registered against private bus operators for hiking ticket prices during the festival. Private bus operators are often found violating regulations during Sankranti, charging passengers excessive fares. The RTO began the drive on January 10 to prevent these inflated charges. The cases filed include issues such as overcharging, overloading passengers, and failure to maintain passenger lists. Deputy Transport Commissioner G. Adinarayana warned operators that buses would be seized if they were found collecting extra fares. The special drive will continue until January 20, as many travelers are expected to return after the Sankranti celebrations. With the extended weekend, the RTO has decided to maintain the drive through Sunday night.

RINL''S REVIVAL PLAN SET TO RESTORE VISAKHAPATNAM STEEL PLANT TO FULL CAPACITY BY 2025 The start of the new year brings renewed optimism for Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL), which has faced challenges in recent times but is now on track to regain its previous strength. The Union Cabinet has approved a revival plan worth Rs 11,440 crore, which will revitalize the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), enabling it to reach full operational capacity by August 2025. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed that RINL will begin full-scale steel production with two blast furnaces in early 2025, and a third furnace will be operational by August of the same year. The revival plan includes an equity infusion of Rs 10,300 crore to resolve critical operational issues, including working capital problems. Additionally, a working capital loan will be converted into preference share capital amounting to Rs 1,140 crore, completing the Rs 11,440 crore package. Announced by the Union government in January, the comprehensive revival plan aims to bring VSP to full capacity within the next seven months. Currently, the plant operates three blast furnaces (BFs), but BF-1 has been idle for the past three months due to a shortage of raw materials. While BF-2 and BF-3 have continued operations, even these furnaces have faced difficulties. BF-3 was out of service for nearly two months before resuming production, and despite a combined capacity of over 14,000 tonnes, recent production has not exceeded 10,000 tonnes.